


Creatures Such as We

by roombaa



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Hurt/Comfort, I spell Guinevere’s name like Guin oof, Minor Sexual themes, Morgana is a lesbian, Multi, get ready for over forty chapters of wildness, minor OCs - Freeform, nothing major, oh yeah that is what this is, seven deadly sins au, the main character is Mordred but Guin and Morgause also get a lot of spotlight, there are many chapters, they’re just talking animals
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-07 01:53:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15898515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roombaa/pseuds/roombaa
Summary: Seven Deadly Sins. It’s a never ending cycle when the demons of sin awaken and hunt for a new host. This time around, they made their homes in Camelot, within the variety of people. From from the high king, to a rejected princess, and even a maid, the sins won’t settle until they find their human vessel. Only the “chosen one” is known to be able to stop them before havoc breaks loose.Mordred never thought he was cut out for a big hero destiny. But now the gods have called upon him to collect the seven deadly sins and put them back to their dormant state. And when a high priestess threatens to unleash their dark power on the whole world, Mordred will go a long way to protect his new friends and home, even if it means risking his destiny.





	1. Arc One

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HOLLOW KNIGHT  
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	2. Sorcery is For Saps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guin never thought she would be a host in the special Seven Deadly Sin cycle. Even though she got stuck with what was apparently the weakest sin, she was just happy to be apart of something so cool.  
> Also, she thinks her mistress has a crush on her. But she can’t be too sure.

Now, Guin was never one to fiddle with magic, but the list of chores her mistress gave her was a lot longer than usual and she wanted at least a little free time today. So, she dug through a bookshelf to find a spell book. She was quite intelligent for a serving girl, so she didn’t think a simple cleaning spell could be /too/ hard.

Unfortunately, it was, in fact, too hard. There was a reason why she was never taught in mage craft and put as a maid.

“Do you know what you’re doing?” Aphrodite asked. She’s perched on a chair, criticizing when needed.

She’s the princess’ spirit, a crow with purple-tinted feathers. She was the soul of Lust and was almost always seen with her host. Well, not right now.

“Of course,” Guin answered.

She read the spell and directions carefully. Apparently, though, there’s more things that need to be known to cast a simple spell.

Well, it wasn’t really a spell. It was a mixture that created a special cleaning slime, but magic spells were needed, so same thing.

Back to the point at hand, she needed help, so she turned to Aphrodite for cooperation.

“Terror of Mice, Queen of the Universe, do you mind aiding me?”

The crow adored the title. It was embarrassing to hold a bird on a higher class and it downgraded her dignity, but it got Guin some help.

“If I must.”

Aphrodite flapped her wings and flew over to the table Guin was working at. She peered into the bowl that was supposed to hold the cleaning mixture.

“The cleaning slime is supposed to be pink, not blue. You added the wrong solution. Hadn’t anyone ever told you to not mix fairy dust up with pixie dust?”

“No..”

“Figured. You are just a serving girl, after all.”

Those words hurt, but Guin wasn’t about to go yell at Aphrodite. It wouldn’t end well for her.

The crow got her a pouch full of golden dust, so she added it in. She kept glancing at the spell book to do this right this time.

“Have you ever had a date before?” 

Guin looks over at the spirit, who had her head tilted.

“Of course.”

She hoped Aphrodite would leave it at that, since escorting her cousin to their wedding probably didn’t count. Luckily, her mixture seemed to change the subjects.

Actually, maybe that wasn’t a good thing because...

“My, that’s really bubbling.”

Aphrodite perched up on a bookshelf where she couldn’t get her feathers ruined by anything popping.

“Don’t run. I’ve got it under control.”

The crow gave her a look.

“Maybe you should give her some hope.” Circe put in.

She was the soul of Sloth, a brown and white fancy pigeon, Guin’s spirit.

“Right, right.”

Of course Aphrodite agreed with her. She had a huge crush on Circe after all. Guin shook her head and went back to her little project.

She began to notice how the mixture was bubbling, moving abnormally, frothing over the edges of the bowl. Any droplets that dripped down onto the table began to expand outward, growing larger. Guin stepped back.

“You certainly do have this under control.” Aphrodite said.

“Wh-what’s going on? I thought it would work correctly with the dust!”

“You have to know how to make it properly, too!”

The slime was rapidly engulfing the table. At this rate, the whole room would be covered.

Guin felt fear pang at her chest. The small wings flapping on her back proved her anxiety. (They grew in when she became the host of Sloth; brown and white in color and too small to fly with)

“The good news is that the slime is harmless.” Circe said, shifting herself anxiously on the maid’s shoulder.

“What’s the bad news?”

“It stains.” Aphrodite put in for the pigeon. 

That wasn’t good. Guin was supposed to clean the room, not make it dirtier! Leaving around dust was fine, but surely her mistress would notice blue streaks all over her carpet.

“What do I do?”

“Try casting a holding spell and then use a removal enchantment.” Circe suggested.

It was a good idea, but Guin had no clue how to do that. Still, she tried. She pointed at the growing slime and called out a spell she had heard before.

Nothing. 

In fact, she thought she made it worse.

“Try a different finger.” Aphrodite said. She almost sounded like she was laughing. Of course she would enjoy this. 

“Aphrodite, please help!”

She would have asked Circe, but her spirit didn’t have that strong of magical abilities.

“I’m sorry, what did you call me?”

She sighed heavily and mumbled:

“Terror of Mice, Queen of the Universe..”

“Good.”

Aphrodite swooped down onto Guin’s other shoulder, her talons grasping on tightly. Her eyes flashed purple and the slime began to pull together, gathering into one mass. Circe decides to help by adding some of her energy to Guin, whispering directions on how to say spells correctly.

Guin can feel her blood glow with magical energy. It was like a painless bolt of lightning just went up her spine. She never knew it would feel like this.

“Will this get rid of it?” She asked once she could find her voice.

“Hush up,” Aphrodite snapped.

The blob of slime began to get smaller and smaller, the crow’s magic containing it. Peacefully, the mixture is returned to the bowl.

“You owe me. I could still tell Morgana, you know. She believes me more than you.”

“Don’t do that,” Circe said. “It was an accident. Guinevere is very grateful for your help.”

Guin was also relieved Circe covered her. She knew Aphrodite had a soft spot for the other spirit, so she easily eased up.

“Yes, yes. She is.” Aphrodite boasted. “I still want special pruning from you, though.”

Guin nodded. It was the least she could do. She then turned her attention to the table, which was stained bright blue. She swallowed thickly.

“What do I do about this?”

“Get to scrubbing.”

The entire time Guin scrubbed off the table, Aphrodite kept adjusting herself on her shoulder. Her talons were poking painfully at her skin, but she couldn’t really ask her to get off. She would just have to deal with it, even though marks would be left.

She finished just in time, because her mistress soon came swooping in from an open window.

“Guinevere, it looks very good in here!”

Good, she didn’t notice the slight blue tint on her table.

Morgana’s sunset-tinted wings folded against her back, slowly fading to their regular pure white color. Her wavy raven hair tumbled down her shoulder as she slipped off her cloak. Underneath, she was clad in a scarlet dress with golden rims, which was loose, but left a lot to the imagination. Anyone could easily see her breasts from the side. It was split down low, showing off her long, but strong legs. Her milky, glowing skin only added to her hypnotic beauty.

“M-mistress!!”

One of Guin’s wings covered her eyes as her cheeks burned bright red. She felt Aphrodite fly over to her host. Morgana chuckled.

“Still getting embarrassed, I see.”

“I shouldn’t see you like that, my lady.”

“Oh hush up with that,” Morgana tutted. “You are my maid. You’re going to see things.”

“B-but mistress-“

Guin felt a finger lift up her chin and she peeked out to see Morgana closer to her. Being shorter and at that angle, she got a perfect view of the princess’ ample bosom. Her face darkened and Aphrodite laughed.

“Help me change, dear Guin.”

“Y-yes, my lady.”

Guin made sure to look away while she untied the back of Morgana’s dress, stripping her of the covers. And, of course, she wasn’t wearing her skivvies. She was the host of the sin Lust, so it was obvious that she would dress so crudely. Even as the princess, she still had her own fun with the people of the city.

Guin helped bathe the princess, rubbing her soft skin with golden oils and brushing out the silky feathers on her wings. After the bath, she fetched some undergarments and a plum dress Morgana could wear for dinner.

Speaking of dinner, she didn’t think she could make it that evening. There were still things she had to do.

“Guinevere?”

Morgana seemed to realize that plan when she wasn’t followed to the door.

“Aren’t you coming?”

“No, my lady,” Guin answered, “I still have chores that need to be done. I think I’ll skip supper today.”

Frowning, Morgana said:

“You must eat. You may finish some other time; come now.”

Guin nodded and followed her out into the hall. She wasn’t that good with the clustered people in the dining hall, but she would have to manage.

Hopefully.

———

“I see that you brought a plus one, Morgana!”

It was easy to tell who was younger between the two heirs. Arthur was an arrogant young man with a shining smile, and the sin he got infested with was a perfect match.

Pride.

Pride took the form of a ghostly yellow spider monkey with glowing fur and bright blue eyes. He went by Hercules.

Arthur and Hercules got along very well. The spirit was often seen with the prince, hanging onto his back or shoulders. From Hercules being around, Arthur gained a long yellow tail. He enjoyed hanging upside down with it.

But Lust, Pride, and Sloth weren’t the only sins residing in Camelot. Envy and Gluttony made their home in two knights, and Wrath with the king.

“I didn’t know you had a thing for maids.” Arthur teased.

Rolling her eyes, Morgana replied:

“I don’t. I brought her along to eat. She worked very hard today.”

She combs her fingers though Guin’s feathers while talking. Her servant was seated beside her, which was a strange sight given that royalty usually didn’t eat with their workers. She didn’t mind, though.

“You have a lot of types, so I doubt that’s true.” Hercules said.

“Well, I’m still into the maid’s bird.” Aphrodite spoke. Her words made Circe’s feathers ruffle. Guin was also affected by this. She had known Aphrodite for awhile now, and yet she still doesn’t use her name.

But that’s how dinner went; back and forth banter from the siblings and sins. Except from Guin, who was quiet. She didn’t want to be rude and interrupt. Being there made her feel awkward; she should be doing her chores.

Before she could excuse herself, the king entered the hall.

A dark aura seems to surround Uther everywhere he went; it’s not like the black horns curling out of his forehead made him menacing enough. He had hands that were like bear paws, strong and large. Slash marks travelled all the way up his arms, an untold story that none knew of.

Guin tensed and Morgana set a hand on hers.

“It’s okay, dear Guin.” She said gently.

But it didn’t feel okay. Servants weren’t supposed to sit with the nobles. Uther would yell at her. Her eyes squeezed shut when he approached.

“I see that you finally brought your pet to dine with us, Morgana.” He said.

“It’s only for tonight.” Morgana answered. “Don’t worry.”

Uther nodded and continued to his seat.

Guin exhaled a shaky breath, calming her nerves. Uther didn’t yell, but she still didn’t feel right. She swore she had heard a growling voice she didn’t recognize when he was near. She could still hear it faintly in one ear.

Something felt off.

“My lady, may I be excused?”

Morgana looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

“For?”

“I wish to go for a walk.”

“Very well.” Morgana nodded. “Return to my chambers after you’re done.”

“Of course. Thank you, my lady.”

Guin dipped her head before standing. She really needed that walk.


	3. Hot Springs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guin’s walk doesn’t go as smoothly as she had hoped. Morgana will make sure she gets the relaxation she deserves.

“Why didn’t you return to my chambers last night?” 

Despite being morning, it was still very dark from the clouds gathered in the sky. Morgana was sitting up in her bed, staring across the room at her maid.

“Your order was to come back after the walk. Why didn’t you obey me?”

“I wasn’t feeling well, so I went to my room.” Guin stutters.

“You shouldn’t have gone out, then.”

Morgana had an eyebrow raised. She would have noticed if Guin wasn’t feeling well the day before. She seemed perfectly healthy.

“Are you angry with me? Is that why you didn’t follow my orders?”

“What?” Guin shook her head immediately. “No. Of course not, my lady.”

“Then why are you lying to me?”

“I’m not.”

Guin quickly turned to the wardrobe and started to pick out a dress. While she did this, Morgana slipped out of her bed and set a hand on Guin’s stiff shoulder.

“Tell me what’s wrong. What happened?”

Guin didn’t answer or even turn to face her mistress. She was blinking rapidly to try and keep the tears at bay. Circe, who was perched on her shoulder, nuzzled against her neck, not making a peep either.

“Who has hurt you?”

“No one has hurt me.”

“Stop lying.” Morgana growled deep in her throat.

She turned the maid around, but Guin kept her head bowed. Her eyes wandered across the smaller woman, noticing that some of her feathers were missing. That, and the red mark in her left ear. Her breath caught in her throat.

“Who did this to you?”

“Nobody, my lady.”

Guin was taking deep, shaking breaths. A gentle hand lifted her chin.

“Look at me,” Morgana spoke gently. “Now talk to me, dear Guin. Who did this to you? I will make sure they are punished.”

“I-I cannot tell you, mistress... It will put you in danger.”

Morgana sighed. She never remembered her maid being this stubborn. 

She brushed Guin’s hair to the side to get a better look at her ear. The wound covered the area at the top of the helix to the antihelix, tearing the scapha and antitragus, leaving a gap in her soft skin. Her ear was fading to deep purple and black, but angry red at the holes. This was caused by a bite. 

When Morgana touched the tender wound, Guin let out a cry of pain. Tears sprung to her eyes and she was sent reeling backwards. She was caught by her mistress before he hit anything. 

“Oh Guin...” 

Morgana helped her back over to the bed.

“Lay down. You need to rest.”

“My lady, I cannot lay in your bed.”

“It’s fine. Just lay down.”

Guin let herself her pushed down onto the soft bed and tucked beneath the blankets. A gentle hand began to stroke back her hair.

“Aphrodite, go fetch Gaius. Quickly now.”

The crow spread her wings and took off to the tower.

Morgana returned her attention to Guin. Her maid’s eyes were shut tightly, breathing shaky.

“You will be okay, dear Guin. I promise.”

———

Gaius came to check on Guin with his owl familiar, Medea. He said that there was nothing major, but Medea could feel some kind of energy wavering from the bite mark on the maid’s ear. She asked, but Guin just said that she really didn’t know who did this. She didn’t get a good look at them, since they were wearing a dark cloak. Circe said the same thing.

Morgana was still seated on her bed, stroking Guin’s knuckles with her thumbs.

“Has the draft started working yet?”

“It has,” Guin began to sit up. “I should get to my chores.”

“What? No. I have something else planning for us.” Morgana had a big smile. “We’re going to go to the castle baths!”

“Th-the bathhouse?”

Guin has actually never been in there, since it was only for the nobles.

“Yes!”

Morgana helped the stuttering maid to her feet, steadying her.

Gaius and Medea watched them leave.

“What do you think happened to her?” Gaius questioned his familiar.

“I’m not one hundred percent sure,” Medea answered. “The aura from her wounds were very familiar of a sin’s aura.”

Gaius raised an eyebrow and inquired further:

“Do you think her sin hurt her?”

“No. Someone or something else. It can’t tell who, though.”

“If someone is going rogue, we must find them before anyone else gets hurt.”

“Yes, we do.”

———

The bathhouse has blue walls with golden patterns swirled across the paint. Torches lit up the pools that had steam rising from the surface. Fountains spouted hot water into the spring. It was a relaxing place.

“My lady, are you sure it’s okay for me to be here?” Guin asked.

The guards who were at the entrance of the springs even gave the pair strange looks when they went inside. Someone as low as a servant shouldn’t be in the royal bathhouse.

“Since you’re with me, yes.”

With that, Morgana began to take off her dress and undergarments so nonchalantly. She set them to the side and stepped to the water, turning to Guin, who squeaked and covered her eyes with a wing.

“Come, my dear Guin. Join me. You’ll be able to relax.”

“M-my Lady, I shouldn’t taint this place. I’ll just stay on the side and get you some towels.”

“Guinevere,” Morgana spoke more firmly. “I am your mistress, so you must listen to me.”

She was right.

“Y-yes, my lady..”

Guin swallowed thickly and took a deep breath. She reached back and began to untie her dress. Her hands were shaking.

“M-mistress, please don’t look.”

Morgana cocked her head and asked:

“Why? You shouldn’t be ashamed of your body. You’re beautiful, Guinevere.”

To which the flustered Guin replied:

“Mistress, /please/.”

She was begging, so Morgana sighed and turned away.

“Very well.”

This gave Guin a bit of confidence, and she slipped her arms out from the sleeves. Her dress dropped to the ground. With another bout of courage, she began to remove the cloth that held her breasts.

“Ooooo!~ Looking good, maid!”

Aphrodite only piped up when the bra was removed for the exact reason of embarrassing Guin. She laughed when the maid used a wing to hide her chest.

“Aww, don’t hide them! This is the first time I’ve seen them out!”

In return for the crude comment, Aphrodite was hit with the dress. Her view was covered, but she was still tittering.

“Don’t be rude,” Circe snapped. “Give Guinevere some privacy.” She was nice and was looking away.

“Fine, fine.”

With no one looking anymore, Guin removes her knickers and finally stepped into the pool.

A tingling sensation ran up her spine and a moan of pleasure escaped her lips. She covered her mouth quickly.

“Feels wonderful, doesn’t it?” Morgana chuckled.

Guin nodded and sat down beside her mistress. Her muscles were relaxing so easily.

Morgana, on the other hand, was slightly tense. She had seen something very concerning.

There were marks on Guin’s forearms, like somebody had held on tightly with their nails. Her back bore long scars, starting at her shoulder blades and ending at her rear. The back of her neck was bruised, too.

Something ruthless had attacked her Guin. She would make them pay.

“Still feeling okay?” She asked.

“Yes,” Guin nodded honestly. “This is helping a lot. Thank you.”

Morgana smiled.

“I told you.”

She raised a hand and gently began to massage the area where Guin’s wings connected with her back. The action made the maid flinch, but she didn’t protest. Her hands slid up, thumbs rubbing soft feathers tenderly. 

Every touch made Guin shudder. She didn’t mind when people played with her wings, but didn’t want her mistress to advance to any other part of her body. Not yet.

Wait-

No. Not ever.

She was a maid. She couldn’t get with her mistress who was the /princess/. Marrying royalty when you were just a serving girl has never been heard of before. It would bring disgrace to the Pendragon family.

Guin’s spine bowed when Morgana’s hands slid down her back. She bit down on her lip, and her mistress chuckled.

“You are aroused.”

Morgana said it so nonchalantly.

“Rapid pulse. Shallow breathing. Tense muscles. Flushed skin.” She smiled innocently. “You’re also very submissive, dear Guin.~”

She was teasing, but it still made Guin turn bright red.

“Th-that’s not something you just say!” Guin yelped, splashing the other woman.

“It’s true.”

“True for you probably!”

She wouldn’t be surprised if Morgana was turned on by this. She doesn’t judge, though, since she was the host of Lust.

“You forgot I can sense these things, dear Guin.~”

This caused an uproar of laughter that broke out into a splash fight between the two young women.

Unfortunately, their fun was cut short by Arthur’s voice.

“Morgana!”

The princess, in a panic, held Guin underwater as Arthur walked in. She used a wing to cover her chest. Even if she did love to flaunt her body, she wasn’t into incest; Arthur shouldn’t see her breasts. He probably didn’t even deserve to.

“Arthur!” She barked. “You can’t just come in while I’m bathing!”

“Sorry,” Her brother answered. “Father wants you out at the stage when you’re done. Another show it going on. It starts in an hour.”

“Alright. I’ll be there.”

Morgana could feel her maid starting to squirm under her hands.

“Now get out!”

“Okay! Okay!”

Guin was gasping and wheezing when she was allowed to come to the surface. Morgana tried to hush her, but it was a bit difficult. She scolded herself. Her poor Guin had been injured, and she held her underwater. That probably made it worse.

“Shh, shh, I’m sorry.” She spoke gently. “I just didn’t want Arthur to see you. I don’t think he would be angry, but he would make a scene.” 

Her hands brushed back Guin’s wet hair from her face, one arm wrapped around her back, holding her close.

“I-it’s o-okay, my lady,” Guin said, still coughing.

Her own hands cupped Morgana’s shoulder blades.

The touch sparked realization.

Completely naked, she was pressed against her mistress, the princess, who was also nude. Their slick fronts squashed together. To make it worse, her chin hovered dangerously close to Morgana’s cleavage.

Thoughts began to whirl through Guin’s mind. Horrible thoughts. Thoughts of how Morgana would be disowned for touching a servant like this; thoughts of Morgana being all alone, stripped of everything she had.

It was too much.

She shouldn’t be doing this. It wasn’t proper or right or-

“M-mistress-“ She stammered, gasping. “I-I need-“

She needs to let go. She needs to pull away or refuse. If someone saw this, so many things would trigger from it.

Her wings are flapping wildly, slapping the water loudly. She can’t control them; fear was.

Then, without warning, soft lips were pressed to her forehead. Her wings froze mid-flap.

“It’s alright, dear Guin,” Morgana spoke huskily. “But it seems our bath has been cut short.”

Her mistress pulled away and stepped out of the pool. Guin was still in the water, clutching at the edge of the bath, head propped up on her arms. 

That wasn’t fair! Morgana can’t just go and make her all hot and bothered and then stop!

“A show will be going on soon,” Morgana said, drying her hair with a towel.

Guin shuddered. She wouldn’t go; she still had chores to do.


	4. The Show Must Go On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who knew Camelot was known for its free for all, bloodbath fights. Luckily, they exist and has attracted a strange person to the city.

Most people don’t expect what goes on in the shows put on in Camelot. Instead of acting, peasants, homeless people, or just about anyone who sign up fight to the death.

The “stage” was a sandstone arena with rows of seats built in like an amphitheater. Royals watched from a podium higher up, gazing down on the sandy battlefield.

The rules were simple. Survive. It was an all out, free-for-all bloodbath. And the people loved it. The winner got to move up in class, so that’s why so many poor people participated. 

Despite being a dark idea, not many civilians or even outsiders opposed it. Many people came to watch, since it was quite entertaining. It was Uther’s idea when he was crowned as king and had been going on for years now, practically a tradition at this point.

On the cloudy fall day, ten fighters were signed up. Five men, three teenagers, two women, and one winner.

The buzzer sounded.

The crowd cheered loudly.

Up at the stands, Uther was tilted forward in his throne, very interested in the fight.

“Take your bets, children!”

“The blonde woman.” Arthur said.

“Ohhh yeah!” Hercules agreed. “Yeah, ‘cause she’s flaunting those tits around like they’re jewels! That’s a good distraction method.”

“That’s what Morgana does!”

Morgana snorted. Her brother wasn’t wrong, though.

“The man without a shirt,” She said. “He looks strong.”

“He’s ripped.” Aphrodite added.

Yelps went through the crowd and when one man got his skull smashed into solid stone, cracking from the force.

“That’s gotta hurt.” 

“He’s dead, Arthur.” Morgana said.

As the battle continued, more bodies dropped to the dirt. Soon, only four were left.

A dark haired man was wielding a spear, speaking in a growling voice while approaching the blonde woman. He slashed her across the chest, splitting her breasts open. He went to kill her, but a ball of sand hit the back of his head. He turned slowly, glaring at the teenager a few feet away.

“So you want to die first, huh?”

He began to walk over, brandishing his spear. He swung, but his attack was blocked by the boy’s sword. He tried again. And again. And again.

“That kid is good.” Arthur commented from up in the stands. He was always looking for new knights; maybe the kid could try out if he won.

“Just die already!” The dark haired man roared.

He lashed his spear down in anger. His attacks were wild, but predictable. They weren’t fluid or thought out at all. But he was much larger than the teenager and his blow was strong enough to make him stagger back. He swung his spear to the side; the boy was on the ground.

“Ha! Take that, little rat!” The man bellowed. “Oh, I’m going to enjoy killing you. You’ve been alive for too long!”

But he never got to stab the boy.

Something similar to a sonic boom blasted through the arena, followed by a high frequency screech. It was like time was frozen, even though people could still move, but slower, like they were underwater. The air was quivering, strange pulsations through the sky. The wind has completely stopped; the ground was vibrating.

The man was screaming. Blood suddenly splattered from his lips, the same red gushing from his ears. The other two survivors were on the ground, bodies spasming violently.

Then, without warning, everything returned to normal. 

People were gasping from the shock of being released from the powerful, unseen force. Terror quickly swept through the crowd from what had just happened.

“You!”

Uther’s powerful voice boomed over the arena. He was up on his feet, still slightly dizzy from what had happened, but glared down at the single living soul on the battlefield.

“Who are you and what have you just done?”

The question was met with fearful silence

Behind him, Uther heard Aphrodite and Hercules bouncing theories off of each other. They were onto something and the growling voice in his head agreed. He decided to take a different approach, knowing something was being hidden from him.

“It seems that we have ourselves a winner!” He said. “Remove your hood, boy, and let up bask in your glory!”

The king smirked widely when the cowl was removed and he set eyes on the shimmering, pure white deer-like ears growing from each side of the boy’s head. They were accompanied by small fawn horns that shimmered in the dull sunlight.

“How were those hidden under the hood without looking odd?” Was the question Arthur got himself to say in his shocked state.

“It must be enchanted with an illusion spell.” Aphrodite answered him.

“Very good,” Uther murmured before raising his voice. “Guards, take our new guest to the throne room.”

He turned after giving the orders, facing his heirs.

“Are you both alright?”

They nodded.

“Good. Now, come with me. Oh, and Arthur, get Lancelot and Merlin for me. I need their help.”


	5. Truth Seeker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uther will go a long way to learn the new boy’s secrets, even if it comes with pain and humiliation.

Instead of getting a warm welcome, the boy was pushed down to his knees in the throne room with his wrists bound.

Uther examined him from his seat. He looked quite young, maybe only sixteen or seventeen. Brown curls fell around his head like petals, ivory skin contrasting well with the scruffy mane. Despite being so small, this kid was a fighter; it was obvious. He was groggy and hurt, but his ice blue eyes stayed focused.

“I am Uther Pendragon, king of Camelot. These are my children, Arthur and Morgana. We welcome you to the city.”

“Do all outsiders get tied up like this?” The boy spoke, making Uther laugh.

“No. Not usually.”

“Then why am I?”

“There’s some things I need answered from you.”

“Couldn’t you have asked like normal people do and not tie me up? A simple please would have worked.”

A backhand to the head silenced him.

The guards really didn’t like his replies.

“Well, I don’t expect you to answer honestly any other way.” Uther simply said before giving a hand signal.

The boy felt it before he could see it. Something moving against his backside, chill and smooth.

A snake.

Medusa, the soul of Envy and Lancelot’s spirit, coiled herself up the boy’s body, wrapping around his arms and then his neck. He felt a sting in his shoulder and then yelled.

“What are you doing? This is insane! Get it off!” 

“This’ll be over quickly if you answer everything.”

Another hand signal.

“Did it bite me?!”

“Don’t worry, she’s not venomous.” Lancelot said. “She bites to draw out magical energy. When she’s binding you, she binds your magic, too. It’s a safety precaution.”

Merlin, the castle mage, stepped up after he finished talking. He raised a hand, fingertips glowing, and drew a strange rune in the air. He muttered a spell and the writing flashed before disappearing.

“What was that?”

“A spell to keep you from lying.” The mage answered.

The boy swallowed thickly and squirmed. What were these people going to do to him? He couldn’t tell them anything.

“Now,” Uther leaned forward in his seat. “let’s begin. What’s your name?”

The patterns in Medusa’s scales lit up yellow. She constricted around the boy.

“Hyurk..” The boy grunted, feeling his body start to burn. That couldn’t be the snake’s doing.

“I don’t think I specified the spell,” Merlin spoke. “If you try to lie or resist, the pain will worsen. Medusa is a little add-on. Not many people like snakes, so if the pain factor won’t make you talk, making fear will.” He smiled thinly, pity in his eyes. “She will get tighter around you if you don’t speak up, though.”

This was insane, the boy decided. He couldn’t just give in, but-

“Mordred,” He forced out through gritted teeth.

The boy was shaken, clearly in pain.

“Surname?”

“I don’t know.”

“Where are you from?”

“M-many places.. I move around a lot.”

“I want to know your place of origin; all the places you’ve lived. Where are they?”

“I don’t know the name of the town. It was big, but not like this. Everyone knew each other. I moved through many families there.”

“Why did you switch families so much?”

The boy shut his eyes tightly as he was forced to answer:

“They didn’t want me. I kept messing things up with my ‘gifts’. This went on with other families from other villages, too. Other portions of my life I was in a dark place. It was very cold and black and-   
/fuck/..!”

He had tried to resist before those details could spill, but he couldn’t. Fatigue took its grasps on him, weakening his muscles. His neck tendons strained.

“The forest.. That’s where I lived next. I’ve lived in the forest for quite some time now. I visit villages often, though. To pass through.”

“So you’re a traveler?”

“Not exactly.”

The words are coming out more freely now.

“Why did you come here?”

“Knight,” The word was gasped. “I wanted to be a knight.” Mordred turned his head and yelled at Merlin, “Why is it getting worse?! I’m being honest!”

“You had hesitated.”

“I did n-“

Medusa tightened, silencing the boy.

“Why do you want to be a knight?”

“To protect. People. I want to protect people. I want to be a hero.”

Laughter came from the guards and embarrassment burned on Mordred’s cheeks. Arthur could see how humiliating this was. He glanced at Morgana, who seemed to agree with him. This wasn’t right.

“How admirable of you.” Uther said. “Now, I’ll get to the main point. What did you do out there?”

Mordred attempted to fight back and not answer, but it didn’t seem to go well from the way his body jerked with massive discomfort, like he was about to be sick.

“I don’t know. I /really/ don’t know. I-it just happens sometimes.”

The onlookers in the room murmured to each other.

“And your horns? How did you get them?”

“I was born with the- agh!!”

In response to his lie, white hot agony rocketed through Mordred’s shuddering body. He almost crumpled over and to the ground, but a guard held him up firmly. Through heaving breaths, he let the truth spill out:

“They-they grew in. I can’t remember when, exactly. Maybe a year ago?”

Arthur didn’t like this anymore. This wasn’t interrogation, it was torture. This poor, innocent kid was being stripped of everything he knew and humiliated.

“What are you, Mordred?”

“H-h-h-human?” He was stammering horribly.

A sheen of sweat glistened over his milky white skin. He looked ill, like he was being forced to function with a fever. That was the effect of resisting the magic.

“Are you a host?”

“Nnnnnggg...” Mordred moaned as his stomach cramped. “I-I am..”

“Of what sin? I assume Greed, since it’s the only one that isn’t here. Is it Greed?”

“N-no.”

That wasn’t a lie.

A new swell of murmurs went through the room. Uther’s eyebrows furrowed.

“No?”

“Y-yes..sir.”

Mordred tried being polite, but it only gained him a fresh wave of pain. He groaned, his eyes crossing.

“I-I’m gonna throw up...” He gurgled.

Nobody seemed to notice or care about what he said, making him hope he would vomit and ruin their nicely polished floors.

“Merlin,” The king called out. “Let me look into this boy’s head. I must know what he’s hiding.”

The whispers sounded like thunder when the royal said that, many tensing at the order.

It was unknown if the fragile human psyche could stand such a trauma of having someone look through their head. It was a violation that nobody, no matter what they have done or who they are, should go through.

Merlin swallowed thickly and nodded, saying:

“Yes sir.”

He walked over to Mordred, removing the enchantment and snake. He muttered a new spell, glowing purple cables forming, coiling around Mordred’s wrists. He gave the magical rope to Uther.

“Who are you really, Mordred?”

Arthur and Morgana exchanged nervous glances. This was cruel, they both agreed. The stranger was just a boy; he didn’t deserve this. They watched as their father’s fingers closed around the rope.

Mordred’s eyes popped open wide. He rasped:

“Wh-what are you doing?”

“Do not resist.”

The words did nothing.

Mordred’s head jerked back before his whole body hauled forward, doubled over on his knees. Only the whites of his eyes could be seen, with a faint glow coming from the sockets; blind. He could feel cold fingers prodding through his head, sifting through his memories like they were files.

“No. Please stop, I-“

He cut himself off with an awful heave. Blood snaked from his nose. Tears soon joined them.

“P-please stop,” He panted. “Please...!”

“Submit.” Uther growled.

But the boy didn’t.

He began shrieking, body spasming wildly.

Morgana was up on her feet, wings flared out in shock. Her brother joined her.

“Father, stop!” The older yelled. “You’re hurting him!”

Uther didn’t hear her, though. He was lost, too.

“Enough, father!” The younger tried, but to no avail.

“Please..”

Mordred is mumbling again.

“Please stop..”

Thunder is rumbling outside.

“Father!”

“Father, stop this!”

“Stop..stop...”

Lightning flashed.

“STOP!!”

A powerful shockwave bursted through the room, knocking a few people off their feet. The windows shattered from the magical force.

Uther gasped sharply, staggering backwards from the shock of pulling himself out of the memories. He let go of the rope, which dissolved into violet dust upon being released. His eyes were wide, bulging in their sockets. Many guards ran to his aid, while others point their swords at Mordred, who is laying face-down on the floor, unmoving. The heirs were the ones to go to him. Morgana fanned off the weapons while Arthur pulled the injured boy into his lap. He managed to locate his fluttering pulse.

“He’s alive.” Arthur told his sister, who knelt beside him.

“But he’s burning up.” Morgana said grimly. “Poor little thing...”

“He needs Gaius.”

Arthur carefully scooped Mordred up into his arms, holding him bridal style.

Strange. What kind of kinship was this?


End file.
